A Conversation with Entrepreneurs Kelly and Will Watters, Founders of Mountain Lifestyle Apparel Brand Western Rise

What happens when an outdoor brand is built around a lifestyle, rather than a sport? When the goal is to connect deeply with the lifestyle of a specific consumer, and then create apparel products based around that lifestyle?

Kelly and Will Watters, third generation entrepreneurs, are doing exactly that with Western Rise, a clothing and apparel company designed to be the perfect apparel for the the mountain life, that has just come out of the Telluride Venture Accelerator. When the focus of the apparel is not a sport or activity, but a lifestyle, consumers end up using the product for many different purposes, and it holds a special place in their heart, staying with them through so many activities.

Kelly and Will also talk about the revolution that is direct to consumer marketing, and how it is changing business. When retail stores were the only way to reach an end consumer, businesses had to treat the buyers of the retail store as their consumer. With direct to consumer, the end consumer is finally the buyer, and it opens up an extremely useful dialogue between business and consumer that results in consumers being far happier with the final product.

Will and Kelly are making big waves in the outdoor lifestyle apparel industry, and their energy and attitude toward entrepreneurialism is exciting and infectious. They have a tremendous level of dedication toward bringing their consumer the absolute best product that they can, and the dedication is paying off. Get ready to be inspired and educated by what they have to say on this episode of Intrepid Entrepreneur!